DePIN (Decentralised Physical Infrastructure Networks) crowdsources real-world resources like compute, storage, and connectivity via blockchain incentives. RWA tokenisation brings tangible assets (real estate, commodities, infrastructure) on-chain for fractional ownership, liquidity, and global access. Together, they address SEA’s challenges: high infrastructure costs, limited banking reach, and volatility in local currencies.
Global tokenised RWA (excluding stablecoins) surpassed US$36 billion by late 2025, with forecasts reaching trillions by 2030. DePIN adds real utility: devices generate verifiable data or yield that becomes tokenised RWA.
Global alliances driving convergence
Western alliances set benchmarks. The Superintelligence Alliance (ASI, merging Fetch.ai, SingularityNET, Ocean Protocol) focuses on decentralised AI but connects to RWA through partnerships like SuperWorld. This integrates ASI’s AI stack with virtual real estate, enabling monetisation of physical-digital interactions via tokenised assets, DePIN hardware, and RWA rewards, democratising access to infrastructure yields.
These alliances standardise protocols, attract capital, and reduce fragmentation, turning AI-DePIN data into investable RWA.
SEA’s regulatory momentum and emerging alliances
Vietnam’s 2026 framework marks a shift. The Law on Digital Technology Industry (effective January 1, 2026) recognises digital assets, backed by real-world underlying (excluding securities/fiat). Resolution 05/2025/NQ-CP launches a five-year pilot for issuance/trading, emphasising compliance, cybersecurity, and tokenised assets for practical use.
This creates opportunity for RWA in infrastructure, real estate, and green assets. SEA builders leverage it with alliances tailored to local needs: mobile onboarding, affordable hardware, cross-border utility.
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Examples include Depin Alliance (depinalliance.xyz), uniting DePIN builders for standards and adoption. It hosts events like the Yacht Party in Ho Chi Minh City, a luxurious networking gathering with global VCs, DePIN leaders (IoTeX, Aethir, Witness Chain), and founders, fostering collaborations on RWA convergence.
Insights from leading alliances in Asia
I was previously CMO at U2U Network, a DePIN-focused Layer-1, which was involved in organising Depin Alliance conferences and side events across Asia. From that position, onboarding and fragmentation were the problems that came up most often when builders, investors and regulators met at these events. Alliances in this space tend to be judged on whether they reduce those two frictions, so it is worth asking what they have actually changed for members.
Niche approaches like “opening association as a service” (templates, events, support for sector alliances) help scale fast. In SEA, where RWA attention grows (tokenised commodities, private credit), alliances capture momentum by linking physical networks to liquid markets.
Challenges and path forward
Fragmentation across chains causes pricing gaps. Hardware costs and volatility deter contributors. Regulation varies (Vietnam pilots cautiously, Indonesia securities oversight) but clarity boosts confidence.
In 2026, alliances will mature DePIN-RWA. Global ones provide standards; SEA ones localise for inclusion. The convergence promises practical benefits: tokenised infrastructure shares, verifiable yields from physical devices. Builders who connect communities early will lead the wave.
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